Chad Thomas Carsten: Can you define rock ‘n’ roll in your own words and your true thoughts behind the future of rock/metal in general?

Xer0: I can’t say that I’ve ever given either of those much thought. Freedom, rebellion. The rock ‘n’ roll spirit is alive and well across all genres of music.  I think people get too hung up on classifications; in my opinion, Elvis was rock ‘n’ roll, and so was Eminem in 1999.

CTC: Before becoming a national touring musician. At what age did you know music was your true calling and how did creating music early on shape who you are as a rockstar today?

Xer0: I knew at a very young age that music was going to be my life. By the time I was a teenager, I was already well on my way. Honestly, I don’t consider myself to be a “rockstar.” In my opinion, that is kind of loose term that gets thrown around way too often.  Kind of like the word “pornstar.”  Sorry honey, but getting paid to suck a dick doesn’t make you a star and neither does putting out a few records and standing up on a stage.  There is a whole other level of connectivity and everyday identifiability that the word STAR implies to me. I’m just a hard working producer, and a career minded recording, touring / performing artist. Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) is a rockstar, Tommy Lee (Mötley Crüe) is a rockstar. I’ve had my moments, but I’ve never reached anywhere near the level that warrants the use of that term. I’m very humble and grateful for the career that I’ve had.  I work hard, I strive to improve at my craft, and having a 20 plus year career that is still burning bright is good enough for me. Stardom just isn’t something I long for.

CTC: Prior to joining Static-X. Which past Static-X track did you hear first that made you instantly want to mosh all about in your own home?

Xer0: *Laughs* My introduction to Static-X was in 1999. The song that grabbed me right away was “Otsegolation.”  The melody and the groove were so comfortable to me, like a warm blanket.  I first heard the band live; they were opening for Fear Factory and I just loved the grooves and the energy, and the songs translated so good in the live setting, better than any other band that I can recall.  To this day, I feel like that is the main reason that Static-X was so important. The band connected with people live because their music actually sounds better live and loud than on the recording, which says a lot cause the album is sick. Maybe it’s something within the tonal space of the musical compositions, but it sounds so good in a big room, and that is very rare and special and is not something that you can fabricate. I think it’s a big part of why the 20th anniversary tour felt so good to everyone. People were again able to hear those great songs played loud and live, which is how they translate best.